Shock-absorber.



C. A. PETERSEN.

SHOCK ABSORBER. APPUCATION FILED 050.31.1913.

WINVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

' il ewme mw m CHRISTIAN ALFRED PETER-SEN, 01? BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEJCK-ATBSORBEB.

masses,

. specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. id, 19150 Application filed Ilecember 31, 1913. Serial No. 809,789.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN A. Pn'rnnsnn, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shock-Absorber, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in shock absorbers, andwhile it may be used wherever applicable it is designed particularly for...use in connection with an automobile.

- The object of the invention is to provide a means which shall become progressively' more resistant to a force to counteract the eitect of the force with correspondingly increased efi'ect.

In accordance withthe present invention there is provided a spring-controlled member responsive to the act-ion of a force acting in opposition to the normal tendency of the spring, and this spring-controlled member has brake members associated therewith in a manner to rapidly multiply the resistance to the force to be retarded, so that the effect may be far more rapid than would be the case were the resisting effect of the spring wholly relied upon.

T he invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined 'to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is an elevation of the device in a condition of repose. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section with some parts in elevation and showing the device in the, active position of retarding the effect of a force exerted thereupon. lig. 3 is an end elevation of the device as seen from the right hand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an eleration of a portion of the structure with some parts shown in elevation and other parts omitted. Fig. 5 is an elevation, with parts in section, of one of the brake members. Fig. is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 2-.

ltteferriug to the drawings, there is shown a frame 1 which may be a skeleton frame for lightness, and at opposite ends but projecting from the same face of the frame, are bosses 2, while at an intermediate point the frame is formed with a sleeve 3 and between this sleeve and the bosses 2 are openings 4- through the frame.

Adapted to the sleeve 3 is a rod or bar 5 having one end 6 tapering with opposite faces 7 preferably fiat, while at the other end the bar 5 isexpanded into a head 8 shown as having the face 9 remote from the bar rounded.

Each boss 2 isprovided with a passage 10 through which is passed a pivot pin 11 traversing spaced cars 12 of a brake mem ber 13, and this brake member may, like the frame 1, be of skeleton form with terminal outstanding rounded portions 14, 15, re-

spectively.

Surrounding the rod 5 between the sleeve 3 and head 8 is a spring 16 tending at all times to move the head 8 a ay from the sleeve 3. The taper end 6 of the bar 5 is traversed-at an appropriate point by a stop pin 17 which may be in the form of a cotter pin, or any other means serving as a stop may be provided.

Made fast at an intermediate point to the head 8 by a screw 18 or otherwise is a strap 19, this strap being usually a leather strap,

but any other strap or band may be employed. The ends of the strap on opposite sides of the head 8 are threaded through respective passages 4 and about the bosses 2 which are curved on the faces engaged by the strap, and then the ends of the strap are carried between the side members of the frame 13 and about the rounded faces of the portions 14, the ends of the strap extending to suitable points. In an automobile one end of the strap is secured to the axle or other part of the running gear, while the other end of the strap is made fast to the bodv part of the vehicle.

When the vehicle, which may be assumed to be an automobile, is at rest, the normal action of the main springs of the vehicle may cause some compression of the spring 16. Suppose that the vehicle is traveling and that the wheels of the vehicle engage some obstruction which will cause a compression of the main springs of theivehiclo.

Under these circiuiwtances the strap 19 is tion to take up the slack of the strap, and this movement may continue until the stop 17 brought into'engagement with the frame 1., the main springs of the vehicle taking care of the shock. Immediately thereafter the main springs of the vehicle expand, thus moving the body and running gear apart and the movement if unimpeded is often violent enough to do damage either to the occupants of thevehicle or to the main springs of the vehicle. As soon as the rebound of the main springs of the vehicle takes place this movement is participated in by the strap 19 which moves about the 2 and acts upon the head 8 to force the ba r 5 in a direction to compress the spring 16, thus resisting the rebound of the main springs of the vehicle. At the same time the pull of the strap 19 acts upon the ends 14 of the brakes 13. the strap ends each having a tortuous or indirect path around the ends 14- tending to rock these brakes upon the pivot pins 11 in a direction to "force the ends 15 toward the frame 1. Thismovement, however, is resisted by the tapered end 6 of the bar 5 introduced between the ends or heads 15 which operate as bearing shoes and continued movement of the bar 5 in the direction assumed tends to and actually does rock the brakes 13 in the direction to force the ends or heads 14 more firmly against the strap 19 and cause it to bind with greater force upon the bosses 2, as

well. as upon. the heads 14. There is thereforean impeding force to the movement of the strap 19 caused by therebound of the vehicle body represented by the resistance of the spring 16 and the frictional resistance of the heads 14: and bosses 2 to the movement of those portions of the strap which pass between these members. Furthermore, the frictional resistance caused by the engagement of the heads 15 with the surfaces 7 of the tapered end 6 offers a material resistance to the movement of the bar 5 under the pull of the strap 9. All these resisting forces increase progressively as the vehicle body rebounds, and while the resistance is relatively gradual it very quickly becomes suflicicnt to arrest the rebound of the vehicle body before it assumes dangerous propor tions either to the occupants of the vehicle or to the vehicle springs. The shock absorber may be supported wholly by the strap 19 and is therefore in the nature of a floating device requiring no fasteningmeans except those necessary for the attachment of the'ends of the strap 19 to the running gear and vehicle body respectively. 7

The resistance to shock is both elastic and frictional, the elasticity of the shock absorber presenting a yielding resistance to the forces it is intended to overcome, while i frictional resistance of the shock abber becomes progressively greater so faces thereof.

rapidly that even under the most severe conditions the rebound is neutralized before it can possibly become excessive, but still permits the normal action of the springs of the vehicle to an extent similar to the action of these springs productive of easy riding.

What is claimed is 1. A shock absorber for vehicles, comprising a flexible member adapted to be attached .at the ends to the parts of the vehicle to be controlled, and means resistant to separating movements of the said parts of the vehicle and carried wholly by the flexible member.

2. A shock absorber for vehicles, comprising a flexible member adapted to be connected at opposite ends to relatively movable parts of a vehicle, and brake means in position to'cngage the flexible member to retard its movement, said brake means being connected to and wholly sustained by the flexible member.

3. A shock absorber for vehicles, comprising an elongated flexible member, a rod connected to said flexible member intermediate of its ends, a frame through which the rod extends, a spring on the rod between the ends thereof and in position to engage the frame, and brake members carried by the frame in, coactive relation to the flexible member and to the rod.

4. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising an elongated flexible'membcr, a rod connected at one end to anintermedi ate part of the flexible member and at the other end tapering, a frame traversed by the rod adjacent to the tapered end of the latter, a spring mounted on the rod between the frame and the end of the rod fast to the flexible member, brake members mounted on the frame on opposite sides of the rod and having adjacent ends in coactivc relation to the tapered portion of the rod and at the other ends arranged to engage the flexible member.

5. A shock absorber for vehicles comprismg an elongated flexible member, a rod connected at one end to an intermediate part of the flexible member and at the other end tapering, a frame traversed by the rod adjacent to the tapered end of the latter. a spring mounted on the rod between the frame and the end of the rod fast to the flexible member, brake members mounted on the frame on opposite sides of the rod and having adjacent ends in coactive relation to the tapered portion of the rod and at the other ends arranged to engage the flexible member, the frame and those ends of the brake members remote from the rod being coactively shaped to there engage the flexible member on respectively opposite 6. A shock absorber for vehicles cow prismg an elongated strap, a rod having one end tapered and at the other end formed with with the rod traversing the sleeve, a spring lil mounted on the rod between the sleeve and the head end of the rod, a stop member b n e tapered. end of the rod to limit the expansive movement of the spring, and brake members having opposite ends rounded and each pivoted on a respective boss of the frame with adjacent rounded end-s engaging the tapered end of the rod and the other rounded ends adjacent to the respective bosses, the strap being threaded through the openings in the frame and about thebosses and corresponding ends of the brake members in coactive relation to both.

7. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising an elongated strap, a rod having one end tapered and at the other end formed with a head to which the strap is connected at an intermediate point of its length, a frame having rounded bosses at opposite ends, and a collar or sleeve at an intermediate point with openings on opposite sides of the collar with the rod traversing the sleeve,

a spring mounted on the rod between the sleeve and the head end of the rod, a stop member'on the tapered end 'of the rod to limit the expansive movement of the spring, I

and brake members having opposite ends rounded and each pivoted'on a respective boss of the frame with adjacent rounded ends engaging the tapered-end of the rod and the other rounded ends adjacent to the respective bosses, the strap being threaded through the openings in the frame and about the bosses and corresponding ends of the brake members in coactive relation to both, the strap constituting the sole support for the other parts of the shock absorber.

8. A shock absorber comprisinga strap, wedge member carried by the strap at an intermediate part thereof, and brake mem hers supported by the wedge member and engaged by the wedge portion thereof and having parts in coactive relation to the strap to frictionally retard it.

A shock absorber comprising a strap,

a wedge member carried byvthe strap at an intermediate part thereof, and brake mem bers supported bythe Wedge member and engaged by' the wedge portion thereof and having parts in coactive relation to the strap to frictionally retard it, the wedge member being provided with spring means tending to move the wedge member in a direction to withdraw it from between the brake members. v

10. A shock absorber comprising a flexible member, spaced brake means tending to re-' member and tending to move the flexible member in the opposite direction, the brake means including means constructed to act with progressively increasing braking force during the first named direction of movement.

12. A shock absorber comprising a flexible member, elastic means for resisting, the

movements of the flexible member in one direction and tending constantly to move it in the other direction, and brake means active to the flexible member on opposite sides of the brake means and constructed to resist movements of the flexible member with progressively increasing force when the flexible member is moved in a direction op posed to the normal tendency of the spring means.

13. shock absorber for relatively movable stifuctures, comprising a connecting member adapted to be made fast to both structures, elastic means and friction means separately engaging the connecting member and constructed. to eoactively resist movements of said connecting member in one direction, and the elastic means having a normal tendency to move in a-direction to release thefconnect member from friction means 14. A shook ah er for rel" able structures, 'Lprising a flexible con -"-':ember adapted to be ma e ucturcs, elastic means an I, to portion of the connect g Anemher, and friction means engaging the on necting member, said elastic and means being GC'IISi'II'UQ'EQ to coactiv movements of said connecting member in one direction and the elastic means having a normal tendency to move in a direction to release the connecting member from the friction means.

In testimonythat I claimthe foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GHRISTIAN ALFRED PETERSEN.

tively mov- 

